Vending machine



Nov.v 8, 1927.

A. H. DU GRENIER VENDING Filed. @Qt

MACHINE 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l V Patented Nov. 8, i927.

UNITED STATES PATENT 1,648,476 Erica.

ARTHUR H. DU GREIER, OF HAVERHILL, MASSAHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO lRElllrIil\li TON ARMS COMPANY, INC., A COREORATL'ON OF DELAWARE.

VENDING MACH-Inn. v

This `invention relates to that class ot vending machines which are primarily designed Yfor use in vending rectangular shaped packages, and more particularly articles of food, such as sandwiches, which are packed in cartons.

The most convenient and practical form of magazine for a machine of this character is believed to beone in which the cartons are held flatwise in a stack, from the` bottom of which a carton is delivered on each operation of the machine. Cartons, in which articles of `food are packed to enable convenient delivery by al vending machine, are usually formed from la light weight cardboard, which easily. bends and crushes, and, when articles oit' food are packed therein, the carton is usually only partly lille'd, so the contents have but little effect in supporting the '.walls. Consequently, A'when cartons, thus packed, are placed in a stack, the pressure on the lowermost cartons therein is liable to cause them to spread or, bulge out both at the sides and corners. Because of the fact that the side edges of the cartons are somewhat yielding,

for turning it into register with the hole, so

that it will fall by its own weight therethru. In operating a machine of the latter type, the sides of each bottom package are not only liable to be bulged out by the weight of the other packages thereon, but in turning the package into register with the opening thru which it is discharged, its sides are liable to beso bent that the corners of the package are distorted sidewise from their normal positions, so that, in passing thru a rectangular shaped hole which normally tits the package, its corner portions are liable to catch or bind therein.

I have ascertained that clogging of the delivering means, by reason of bulging of the sides and lateral binding of the corners, was notobviatedfby merely increasing the size of the openings thru which the cartons passed, as the length of the arc thru which'the separating device was oscillated, to effect the separation of the bottom carton :trom vthe stack, would then have to be increased to an undesirable extent,` on account of thel lost motion therebetween, and its operation would be rendered uncertain. That is, in order that a machine of this type may operate `satisfactorily the carton should be closely engaged at all sides by the separating device, so that the amount of lost motion between the separator and carton will be reduced to a minimum.

The object lof my invention is to provide a form oit separating and discharge mechanism which will permit. separation, by a downward movement, of the bottom carton i from a stack oi' cartons of the type above referred to, and which will be so constructed that the movement of the cartons therethru will not be obstructed in case of distortion of the carton, and that each carton will be 'f" closely engaged by the separating device when it is separated from the stack, so that a minimum motion of the device will be necessary and the carton will always be brought into accurate kregister with the discharge opening thru which it is to pass. I accomplish these objects bymeans of the construction hereinafter describe-d and illustrated in the which f Fig. l is a front elevation of a vendin machine embodying my invention.

l Fig. 2 is a sectional view, partly broken away, at line .Q -2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view at line3--3 of Fig.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view at line 1 -4 of Fig.

Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, ywith the separator plate in the position of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view atvline 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view at line 7-7 ofl Fig. 2."

As shown in the drawings, the machine comprises a base 10 on which a vertically extending magazine casing 12 is mounted, said casing being adapted to contain a stack of Hat packages or cartons X, which are square in term and of substantial thickness, being primarily designed to receive certain articles of food. A metal bottom plate 13 is provided at the lower end of the magazine, having a square opening therethru into which the packages stacked in the magazine accompanying `drawing in pass, thedimensions of the opening being somewhat greater than the dimensions of the carton X, so that, if the Weight of the stack of cartons on a carton at the bottom of the stack should cause its sides to bulge out to some extent, the carton Will nevertheless pass therethru.

A separator plate 14 is mounted for oscillation on a base plate 15 lined on the base 10, said plates each having a square opening therethru, the geometrical .centers .of ywhich are li-new-ith a .prependicular line'thru the center of the -opening in the :bottom plate 13 ofthemagazine. :Thenopenings :in plate 13 and.. the ibase plate 15 are so arranged relatiyelyyfthattithe `verticalprojections of the sidesof:` the opening in the plate 13 are-.atl

right-angles to the diagonals of. the opening. inaplatel. 'llhe separator .platehasa handle 16 for. :oscillating `the` same between-limits in which its opening is in registerewith the openingsin plates liiand. 15 successively, vthe lengthoffits'farc of:moirement being 45. Thejintermediate portions of the sides of. the

openinginthe -plate 14 are inclined :inward fromfitsnpper side, :toy form guiding faces 14?. andfthenearef,extended `vertically to form engagingV faces 14b land' then-.are .inclined out- W'a1td^fromfaces114b toform faces 14, and each'corner.;po.rit,ion of the-.opening is recessed; from :the: .endsasof the `faces 14b to vthe fullf sizeof :the-opening at :its top ,and bottom andi preferably l'tot asomewhat greater depth closely acl-j acent the; corners, providing corner recesses 14d. i'lhe'-` thicknesspof. the-plate 14 is approximatelyrzequal toithe thickness'of the package,i or Eca.rton1X,l.and 4the perpendicuflaridisfance; between f the opposite? faces 14b is slightlyggreaterxthan:fthe normal length of the sides of the carton, so that thencarton mayupass: thru, ;the y:opening `in the plate 14, but, when.heldfthereimz the :faces 114b lWill engage its;sides\sulliciently:closelyto hold it against any appreciable turning movement in the opening.

The beveled faces 14 at the upper ,end of ther-opening. in, the 'separator-plate extend to the lower edges of the opening in plate113, whenv said openings are in register, `as shown in Fig.v 7L and thes'faces-14Cat its lower end flare outward-ly -lnearly :tothe extent of -the Width of the opening in plate 15, as lshown in Fig. .4, l and thee-orner portions of the latter opening are recessed to a slightly t greaternextentthan the cornerportions of thebpening in'fsaidxplate 15. A receiving .ehambere 17 is provided inthe base; beneath the plate into; which thefgoods are discharged; and from which they may be securedby the purchaser.

Thewoperation of the above described machineslisias follows: l/Jhen ithe separator plat-e114 is'in the receiving portion-of Fig; 2, ,itsvopeningfwllll be in'a'egisterfwith that yin -theabottomgplateof the magazine and lthe Stack of ,packages in the-magazine-w-ill be supported on thebaseplate 15, the-bottom package of the stack being held in the opening in the scparatorplate With itscorner portions resting onv theupper side of plate 15midway between the corners of its opening. To deliver the package, the plate 14 is moved to its opposite position, shoWn in Fig. 5,: tuiiininggthe lbottom package With it until it is held in register with the opening in the y base plate:v {15,1so that fit: will'. fallzfrom the plate f' 14, through the opening iniplate 15,1 and into ,the .delveryohamber 17. Atthe same time the next package abow'e itzW-illabe supponted aat its corners -on 'the upperjeide` of the plate 14, and, When the latterzsisrreturned: vto -its initial, ior receiving position it will pass into `the opening Athereofgr,ini-:pesition to be ,delivered'ontheenext oscillation. When .the package falls throughatheiopenllg ini the .bottom platexofy :the magazine; if the sideslof the bottom package havexbeen bnlgd otttward by= thevpressure offthey otherapa'ckages thereon, :the k:beveled surfaces: -14awwi'll act Y yto press .them ab ack .toatheir perpendicular position, `so'y that its wshape @will tbe nearly restoredy by the time :lit: has passed completely into-.the opening. iln. such zcase, however the corners of,y therv package-may still bc somewhat distorted, ,and this:I distortion :ris likely i to be `,substantially increased bymthe action of the faces14b vin'pressing: againstthe si des'- of thepackage; as 4it isgturned intogdischarging fposition, and bending'. the corners laterally. Asthe corner portions :of fighe opening @in the separator: plate `iare recessed, free movementr of the package :intel and .thru this opening, willnotsbe preventedbyrfthe lateral distortion; of its; cor-ners, as `indicated infFig. 5. Y-YVhen the :package .isfin position for delivery `byf the separator.' zplate, itsxsides will be firmly grasped: ;byi-thefacesg142150 that there Willobezpracticallyino lost motion between the package Yand v:plate rwhen tithe latteris moved:to-sdelivering position. `@By lieveling the .lower vportionf ofrjthe wopening thru the :plate 14, away., from-:the: f-aeescl4b, the movement of the opackage V:trom the separatormplate -s facilitated, oraless likely torbe obstructed. than ifgtheefaces i 1411;4` eX- tended 4to the nnder side oftheplate. rThe above described construction nis, therefore, adapted -to deliver yieldable`V cartons with practically no lliability i. thatfl they Vwill 1 vobstruct the delivery means.

I claim:

11n a machine for dispensing flat, rectangular shaped packages successively from '..the bottom of av vertical stack of suchnpackages, a magazine, for holding the vstack-x..ofazpackages having a rectangular shaped @packagedischarge opening initsbottom, axhorizontallydisposed separator plate havinglaipackage-receivingk opening Aextending frOIntQp to bottom thereofv andy arranged to be yoscillated about a vertical axisvbetween a receiving face extending downwardly and inwardly.A position, in which it registers with said botfrom the top of they plate to the vertical tom opening, and a delivery position, said y face thereof, and a base plate having a plate opening having its corner portions package-delivery opening arranged to regis- 5 recessed to provide an lintermediate protervwith the opening of the separator plate l5 jeetion at each side thereof, .each projection when the latter is in delivering position. having a flat, vertical face arranged for In testimony whereof, I have signed my engagement with the corresponding side of name to this specification. a package held in the opening between points v 10 adjacent each corner, and having a beveled ARTHURH. DU GRENIER. 

